12/14/14

Dharma Talk, December 8, 2014: Linji

Good evening to you and hello to all who are listening by way of the Internet
or reading. Tonight is December 8, 2014 and quickly approaching the end of 2014.
We are going to talk about Master Linji Yixuan. But before I talk
about him, I just want to make some comments of different people who I have run
into over the past couple of weeks that have been really hard on themselves in
terms of things that have happened recently or in their past. Maybe they weren’t
quite as good a Buddhist that they thought they were or that they want to be
and that's why they call us practitioners.

Master Sheng Yen said that “those who have a vow to break is a Bodhisattva
and those without any vow is a non-practitioner.” The very fact that we
know maybe we've done things that we truly feel sorry about or regret, or
assessed the damage that we have caused, or understand that they are from vexations
or discriminations, makes us practitioners and makes someone who has something
at stake to loose in terms of the idea of our practice and moving forward with our
practice. This is important for us not to get down on ourselves.

A lot of times people get down and then they drop off their practice because
they think, “I’m not that good. I’m not doing very well with this.” But every once in a while they'll come back
and reassess themselves as to where they’re at and try again. As long as you’re
this way, the more and more you practice, the better that you will get at it. May
not necessarily be able to remove all of your vexations or desires and
discriminations, but little by little you will become a better person.

So I sent this out to all of you that maybe be too self-critical about
where you're at in your life, or what you've done in the past or recently. Let
those things go and look towards the future and towards the next moment to make
a choice again in your life. It doesn't hurt to work in this way and don't let
your past or even your present ideas define you. Work towards producing
wholesome thoughts in your mind and maintaining those wholesome thoughts. And
let go of unwholesome thoughts and not bring forth unwholesome thoughts. Not so
easy sometimes for us to do that but if we do that, that always gives us hope.
That is one thing about our practice that I think is really important is to
have this hope and have the faith in ourselves so that we do not see things in
the wrong way.

Now tonight I'm going to talk about Master Linji Yixuan who passed away
I think 866 CE. He was kind of like at the part of this real flourishing of
Buddhadharma that came in after the Mahayana School had come together and was
producing the idea of the Tathagatagarbha Sutra, the Maha-prajnaparamita Sutras
and really going into the idea of “emptiness.”

In these ideas, what happens is that looking at it, Ma-tsu(Mǎzŭ Dàoyī (709–788),Huangbo(Huángbò Xīyùn; died 850[a]),and thenLinji
(Linji Yixuan; died 866), all of these
great Masters started realizing; “Hmmm, how
can we teach what cannot be taught?” and how we work on things in this way
because we could be hypocritical in trying to say that we teach the Dharma, so
we have to find a way to practice. It is Ma-tsu twisting Baizhang’s
(Baizhang Huaihai (720–814) nose, when he
asked him where the ducks went [and Baizhang was going to point out] that we
start seeing this kind of a demonstration of non-verbal teaching. It’s something
that stops the flow of the intellectual thinking or cogitating trying to create
conceptions about things and trying to say “No, you cannot go through this door!”

So from the point of Ma-tsu, then to Huangbo [who was the master of Linji]
to Linji, we get a different type of teaching. It’s a different way of doing it
which is this incredible flourishing of Chan where before, there were the
discussions from the Madhyamaca School, the Yogacara School, the Abhidharma
School, all working on what Nagarjuna had set forth in terms of the Madhyamaca
School doctrine, all looking at this emptiness and talking about it. And then
you get to Linji who says, “Hah! And what are you going to do with that?”

Essentially what he was doing was bringing forth the argument of
futility of trying to decide “how many angels could balance on the point of the
pen,” that was some of the nonsense that the Roman Catholic clergy were doing
in the early time. He essentially was very good at pulling the rug out from
underneath someone and letting them see there's no floor underneath that rug.

This non-verbal way of approaching it has always been there (and I’ve
said it so many times and probably used it so many times but forgive me for
repeating it); from Mahakasyapa and the Buddha twirling the flower to
Mahakasyapa and him esoterically understanding what the Buddha meant by that -
that there was no need to respond either from the Buddha or from his disciple.
So it has always been there.

But what Chan did was brought to the forefront and said “Hey if you
really want to know mind, no-mind.” And it's almost like we could say even in
English or play on words, “Know mind.” Is it “KNOW” or “No?” it doesn't matter.
What matters is that this idea of knowing mind is non-verbal. So there is the notion of the Master pointing
at the moon and begging the students not to look at the finger, but to be
absorbed by the rays of the moon. These kinds of analogies came up during
this time period to show that Chan was something other than conceptual thinking.
One truly cannot teach Chan. No one
can teach it. And anybody who thinks they can teach it, it's very sad because
if one engages in the idea that one can teach Chan, then they are leading people
astray.

So this wonderful Master Linji, actually his name is attributable to our
Linji School of Chan and is very important. The two major schools of Chan that
survived: this Silent Illumination or Mochao, and Linji. Linji School dealt
with Huatous
- questions that really could not be answered but one had continued to question
it, and Koans, which are public statements that people work through
and try to work on it.

But the emphasis here was more on the Huatou, the question “what is
emptiness?” But looking at the word “Huatou” meant - before the word. Before the
word, what is there? Before the apple comes up in mind, what is there? Has to
be something there; the apple does not bring its suspension with it. It is
there and this is where he's pointing at. But the “you” say, “But I don't
understand! I don't understand!” And Linji would slap you and say, “You'll
never understand!” And you go, “That was helpful!” (Laughs…) And then he would
slap you again just to try to get you to do that. He was very [kind of an interesting
word] iconoclastic. You guys know what that means? Very interesting, it’s kind
of one of those university type of words, you know.

Iconoclasm means tearing down preconceived notions, preconceived
religions, preconceived thinking, anything preconceived or some kind of
conception to it. He’d tear it up leaving you with nothing to hold on to. It’s
as if he could throw you into a pool and just keep moving the edge of the pool
away from you so “you” would literally drown. He wanted the self to drown.
Linji, as you’re going to find out, was quite a killer but in a different way
than you think.

It's interesting because Linji mixed the concepts of being iconoclast with
the conventional. So his three ways of approaching teaching were:

One: using the Esoteric School such as the Yogacara School or Consciousness-only
to serve as a jumping off point, a studying point. He was not against studying
although during this time period, there were Masters that were off the path
that were not following the Middle Way, but were book-burners but for the wrong
reason. Linji didn't want you to burn the book. He just wants you to burn the
self that’s attached to the book. So that was one of his ways of teaching.

The second way of teaching was via meditation, via the use of Huatou or
a Koan, but more importantly again is the Huatou.

And the third way of teaching was demonstrating the Inconceivable
through non-verbal actions. Anybody want to know some of his non-verbal actions?

Student: (Imitating a slapping motion with hand)

Gilbert: Yes, he slaps the people. It’s very interesting because there
was one very good monk, a disciple of Master Sheng Yen who came to teach in New
York. And he said he was going to follow the classical teaching style. I
already learned that there's a limitation to following the classical teaching
style. I remember some student said “I don’t understand,” and I told him, “You’ll
never understand!” and he never came back.

So I have to use a little more wisdom as to who I can apply this kind of
very direct approach to the practice because everybody wants to be spoon-fed,
or even worse, like a dropper dropping to the little baby hummingbirds the sweet
nectar. They don't want to taste the bitter medicine. Linji was all about the bitter
medicine.

Anyway it's interesting this particular Master came and he announced he
was going to do this type of a retreat - Linji style. It was kind of like when
you're going to Disneyland, they will say, “This is a very violent ride. It is not
recommended for pregnant women or old people, or anybody who gets their feelings
hurt right away.” (Laughs…) And this wonderful master tried this out on a New
York crowd.

But as soon as he started whacking people with the incense board, you
know, I think the word “sue” came up, and it wasn't referring to a name. So in
any case, he had to give up on that in mid-retreat. He couldn't do it any
longer because people in this Dharma-ending Age can't take that type of an
approach. So even I am very careful with what I say to people. Now I have to be
politically correct in terms of things but every once in a while if I have a
promising student, I’ll give him a whack or two. But let's continue on here.

Followers of the Way [of Chán], if
you want to get the kind of understanding that accords with the Dharma,
never be misled by others. Whether you're facing inward or facing outward, (meaning when you're meditating and you're facing inward towards the
wall or outward, it doesn't matter which way you are facing)whatever you meet up with, just kill
it! If you meet a buddha, kill the buddha. If you meet a patriarch, kill the patriarch. If you
meet an arhat,
kill the arhat. If you meet your parents, kill your parents. If you meet your
kinfolk, kill your kinfolk. Then for the first time you will gain emancipation,
will not be entangled with things, will pass freely anywhere you wish to go.

There will be those who will be very shocked with that because of the
fact that when they read this, they will say, “OMG, what a monster!” But quite
to the contrary, what he’s trying to do is try to alleviate suffering. He tries
to kill the notion of this world, of the idea of this reality that lies within
the world, and he's trying to use his shock treatment with you.

I was in New York, (I think I told you this story before) but I was in
New York and I was teaching and one of the Dharma teachers there raised his
hand up when I was teaching and he said “I've asked Master Sheng Yen, I’ve asked
all these masters but nobody can tell me “what is mind?” Can you tell me what
is mind?”

And I said, “Yes, I will tell you “what is mind.” I’m going to talk
about that next actually, but if you don't understand it after that, then I
suggest you kill yourself.”

And he was shocked and then he kind of murmured the words and I saw
where he was going with this so I said, “And kill the Buddha while you’re at it
too.” I didn’t quite get down to the parents. I think that would've been too
much. (Laughs…) But then he started to understand what I was saying. Later on I
found out that the program I was doing was going out on the air. So somebody
told me, “You shouldn't be telling people to kill people! You know that goes out
into the air you know.” So I’m like “I'm sorry but people should understand I'm
not telling people to go out there and create mayhem. They create enough mayhem
in their lives as it is.”

So in any case, that's [as a great, great, great, great, great grandson
of Linji is] where I’m at and although I am filial towards my parents, I also
see him as my father. And he would probably say, “Kill me too!”

So in any case we’ll read a little bit of Linji’s passages here. And
again as you see this, he’s real direct. That’s what I like about him, he’s real
direct; no namby-pamby, no soft stuff, no [what I call] Barney Religion, the “I
love you, you love me” type thing. He goes right to it and sees it. It doesn’t
mean he’s a bad person. He’s a great person because he looks at it just the
right way. Has anybody ever have a grandma like that? You know Grandmas are
really great. When they get to be like over 85, they can say anything they want
and they are right about it.

Mexican grandmothers are really great because they are like Linji. They
don’t have to say any words; they just have to go, “Hmmp(?)” and get the point
across. (Laughs…) Do you have people like that? The Filipinos are very similar
to Mexican people you know and so they don't have to say anything. They just
have to do that and look at you and that’s it! And I like that directness in
terms of Linji. It is very interesting because being Chinese, Chinese are very
very polite. Even if they don't like the person they are extremely polite. Here
he is just like telling you and if you listen to him, he's imploring you. He's
imploring you investigate. He's imploring you to investigate in the right way. So here Master
Linji says:

"Many students come to see me from all over the place. Many of
them are not free from their entanglement with objective things. I treat them
right on the spot. (so he’s like a doctor
giving them the medicine) If their trouble is due to grasping hands, I strike
there. If their trouble is a loose mouth, I strike them there. If their trouble
is hidden behind their eyes, it is there I strike. So far I have not found
anyone who can set himself free. This is because they have all been caught up
in the useless ways of the old masters.

Now this is very interesting; he’s ready to throw out what the old
Masters are saying - the same useless ways of the old masters. Are they useless?
No, they are not really useless but if you hold onto them in a certain way,
they're useless. So I agree with him on that. We give respect to the Masters that
came before; we learn from the Masters that came before but we do not think
that what their speech was is the true Dharma. We just use it to illuminate the
way, but not holding on to it.

As for me, I do not have one only method which I give to everyone, but
I relieve whatever the trouble is and set men free."

"Friends, I tell you this: there is no Buddha, no spiritual path
to follow, no training and no realization. What are you so feverishly running
after? Putting a head on top of your own head, you blind idiots? (I told you, he’s direct!)Your head is right
where it should be. The trouble lies in your not believing in yourselves
enough.

How many of you doubted yourselves in many different things in your life?
You may even doubt your work or doubt anything about your ability. Back to
Linji:

Because you don't believe in yourselves you are knocked here and there
by all the conditions in which you find yourselves. Being enslaved and turned
around by objective situations, you have no freedom whatever, you are not
masters of yourselves. Stop turning to the outside and don't be attached to my
words either. Just cease clinging to the past and hankering after the future.
This will be better than ten years' pilgrimage."

He say’slet go. Let go of the past, don’t look at the future, be in the present
moment. That’s the practice; very simple. He's imploring you, slapping on the
side of the head, and telling you where you need to go and to be fearless. How
many of you would like to be fearless but were afraid of this, were afraid of
the boss - the boss at work as well as the one at home; were afraid of all
sorts of different things that come up, were afraid of dying, afraid of getting
sick, afraid of not having money, afraid of not having companionship (that’s a
big one), afraid of so many different things; afraid of letting go of this and
letting go of that? It's very sad. And he's telling you, you have to have faith
in yourself. You can do it by yourself. You're okay; you don't have to be this
way. You have to be fearless.

This reminds me of a story of this one king that was looking for an enlightened
person to help him with his studies. Someone recommended and they have this one
monk in mind and says that he is a very great practitioner. So they brought him
to the palace and when they brought him into the palace, The king inquired to
the monk; “I heard you're a very good practitioner and nothing moves you.”

And he said, “That is the case.”

The king said, “I want to test you out. I’m going to give you this
goblet full of water [which he filled up very high].” And he said that he just
have to circumnavigate the throne room and he will accept him as the teacher.

So off he started but he didn’t tell him that along the way, there are
going to be all sorts of different things that are going to pop out at him
[kind of like a very stylized Haunted House]. So at first it wasn’t so bad. It
was just a bunch of dancing maidens that were spinning around him, but he kept
going. But then it would be something like a tiger that would come out and roar
and almost reach with their paws to grab him. And he started getting worried
because these things were quite getting startling because there were soldiers
that would come and whisk their blades within a hair’s-width of his skin
because he could feel that.

All the whole way around was just filled with nothing but all of these
things that were either alluring or life-threatening. And I forgot to tell you
that if he dropped a drop of water, he’s dead. The King would have his head, so
there was more to it than just him being a teacher. But if he dropped the drop,
he was done for.

So by the time he finally got around back to where the king was and he set
down and the goblet, the king went “Very very good and very wise and that was
quite a bit of skill! I'm sure you're glad to put down the goblet.”

And the monk said “Quite to the contrary, if within this moment you
chose to take my head I would have no fear.”

So along the way he was able to put down all of his vexations and all
his discriminations and all his fears. He became a very fearless monk. It is in
this way that is the wonderful training of the Chan practitioner - to really be
fearless to be able to meet whatever challenge comes up and deal with it.

Once I had an assistant attorney that went with me to court. And when I
went there she was watching me in the court and the other attorney was very
skilled at raising objections. He would raise one objection after another and
he was actually trying to gun me down. But each time he gave his objection, I would
just find a way around it by a pattern of questions that could overcome his
objections.

And when I got back to the counsel table, my assistant said, “I don’t
want to be a trial attorney!” She just had fear and doubted her own abilities.
This is what Linji is talking about. You have to trust your own abilities. You
have to trust that somewhere inside of you, there is that fearlessness. If you do
not get it, you don't put a second head on top of your head. You don't walk
around with the Buddha-head on top of you. You are the Buddha; you do this in
this way. You see clearly the things that are there.

I had a person come to help me out to do some domestic cleaning at my
house. She's a Mexican lady, a wonderfully lady. She was cleaning but as most
Mexican people [not all of them] but most are Roman Catholic. So she was
cleaning this one statue at my home and then she came over to me very quietly
and brought me to the statute and says, “Can you tell me what this is?”

It was kind of frightening because it was a like a wood carving of an
imp, and he had a pencil in one hand and a tablet in the other, and he was kind
of like flying in the air. But he had this kind of a strange face with these
little knobs on the top of his head; not quite horns but just knobs. And the
way we look at it that's like the devil or demon. And I said, “You don't have
to worry about that because it’s meant intentionally that way. But what the
purpose he is representing is that everything that we do is written down. Everything
that we do is recorded in some way.

So we have to be mindful of our actions so that we are careful about
what was happening because everything has a consequence to it. So here I am teaching
her the Buddhadharma which she absolutely picked up really, really quickly in
terms of understanding it. And then all of a sudden the fear of this particular
statue went away because she understood it and the ignorance was gone. It is
this way that we practice, that we practice without ignorance but to eliminate
ignorance, and that is wisdom. We see things moment-to-moment as they are
happening, clearly happening. And this is wonderful because it enables us to
have no fear about what will come up.

I cannot say that I am without fear but I know I can get up in the
middle of the night [if I want to get a drink of water and go downstairs with
the lights off] and I won't be afraid of the goblin biting me. I don't worry
about those types of things. Are any of you afraid of the dark, nobody? Good, because
you guys have been practicing good. I’m surprised of that, some people are afraid
of the dark or walk around in the dark. Alright, I’m going to test you guys;
tonight you have to walk around your house in the dark after 1200 AM.

Student: With the wine glass? (Laughs…)

Gilbert: Right, with the wine glass and if you spill it, “Krrrk!!!” You
lose your head. So anyway, what Linji is pointing to is very direct. He’s cutting
right through it and telling you to see things clearly. See things as they are;
the causes and conditions. Don't try to add anything more to you. You don't
need to do that you just have to practice in this way. You have to understand
from where your vexations come from, your discriminations, from this clinging
to this self.

And sometimes you refer to it as if trying to cling to this stinking
skin-bag that's there. And what he was pointing to was kind of interesting and
actually one of the authors of the article I was reading, he missed it. He was
pointing to saying “it's the one standing behind the body.” The author I was referring
to, this is a Hindu concept, but he's not really referring to an actual person
or greater self. What he’s actually doing is referring to mind itself - that in
which the image appears.

So if a person is to appear, they are appearing on the mirror. How very
interesting, how deep do they go into the mirror, the image. There is something
still behind that image in the mirror, right? Where did the reflection go?
Think about it. That’s what he’s pointing to; do you see that moment where it stops? And all of a sudden you go,
“What the heck?” So if there’s a mirror there and there’s the mirror’s surface and
something appears on it, did it take away the mirror? No, the mirror is just
right there. That's mind. So he's looking at things and pointing directly to it
and saying that we have to see the world in this way. And if we can, it changes
the way that we interact with others.

There is kind of an interesting part of this story:

When Lin Chi
was a young monk, he studied under Master Huang Po Si-Yin (?-857) in Huang Po
Shan (Yi-fong, Jiangxi). During the first three years at the temple, Lin Chi
went unnoticed. He minded his own business and did what he was told; his daily
schedule included: work in the fields, meditation, helping in the kitchens, and
preparing baths for the older monks.

The head
monk, Mu Chou, observed and noticed Lin Chi's mindfulness and meditation in
action. He was impressed with Lin Chi's humanity and genuineness, and wanted
the Master to notice Lin Chi. Since Lin Chi was so honest and simple, he never
had anything to ask the Master, and did not make himself the center of
attention for no reason. So Mu Chou advised Lin Chi to ask the following
question: "What is the fundamental principle of Buddhism?"